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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29150931">running from a place where they don't make people like me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/keychainjane/pseuds/keychainjane'>keychainjane</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wilds (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Eventual Smut, F/F, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, High School, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:15:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,875</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29150931</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/keychainjane/pseuds/keychainjane</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Toni doesn't like to get involved in other people's business. It's a personal policy of hers. Even people like Shelby Goodkind don't bother her. But certain things are bound to get a rise out of her, and that includes homophobic cheaters like Andrew.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>89</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I love this show and felt inspired to write a little, so here's the product of that. Hopefully, I can get out like a chapter or two a week.</p><p>Also, the title is a line taken from one of the songs Mia Healey put on her Spotify playlist for Shelby Goodkind.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Toni mostly kept to herself. She didn’t like getting into other people’s business. She figured it was easier that way. </span>
  <em>
    <span>When you’re alone, you can only hurt yourself</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she would tell herself time and time again. It was a motto she had definitely learned from experience.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toni </span>
  <em>
    <span>mostly </span>
  </em>
  <span>kept to herself, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t step in every once in a while if a situation called for her. Certain shit just got her so riled up that she couldn’t help but intervene. Certain shit like arrogant douchebags. Like homophobic dickwads. Like fucking cheaters. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Toni woke up Friday morning, she wasn’t expecting to end up talking to Shelby Goodkind, of all people, into the deep hours of the night. The two didn’t really cross paths all that often; their circles only overlapped where Fatin balanced between their, and many other, friend groups. Even though Shelby had only recently moved to Minnesota from Texas, she fit right in with the other popular bitches. Toni didn’t actively try to ignore the God-fearing, pageant-winning, perfectly-dressed blonde with a constant grin and staggeringly green eyes. Despite what others might’ve thought, Toni didn’t really care that there was a possibility Shelby might hate her for being gay. Caring would go against her policy of not meddling in other people’s business.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a couple hours of mind-numbing schoolwork, Toni finally plopped down next to Martha and Rachel at their lunch table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear, Marty, I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna drop out and live in a van. There’s no way I’m making it through this year,” Toni grumbled as she munched on a bag of chips. Rachel punched her arm not so lightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey hey hey, you can’t drop out yet! Big game isn’t until next Friday. We need you if we’re gonna make it to state,” Rachel warned a little too seriously. She was right; the Firebirds had no chance of moving on without their team captain and star player, even with Rachel’s incredible defense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toni started to reply, but was cut off by a bright green piece of paper being slapped onto the table in front of her. She whipped her head up to find a beaming Fatin standing above her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey guys, just thought I’d let you know I’m throwing a party at my place tonight! It’s entitled ‘My Dad Just Threatened to Send Me to Boarding School So Now I’m Gonna Wreck His Precious Home’. Just know that we’re celebrating a very worthy cause,” she finished before immediately turning and sauntering over to another nearby table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn, this sounds like a good deal. Wanna have one last hurrah before Game Week starts?” Rachel asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine, but I’m taking Marty as my emotional support,” Toni looked pointedly at Martha. “You cannot let me get wasted. Coach will kill me if I suck at practice tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you even have to say it? You already know I’ll be following you around all night with a water bottle and some healthy snacks,” Martha laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toni glanced up to the table where Fatin was rambling now. Shelby was listening to Fatin’s monologue intently while her boyfriend, Andrew, jostled with some of his friends. Toni rolled her eyes. She might not have a problem with Shelby, but Andrew was a different story. He wasn’t afraid to be outright homophobic to her, often muttering slurs under his breath whenever they passed each other in the hall. But Toni never reacted; she knew better than to give into her anger. She sighed and looked back at her food when Shelby glanced in her direction, not wanting her to think she was staring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the school day went by with little significance. Toni yawned as she walked out of the gym from basketball practice and straight home, the sky already dark by the time she reached her front porch. She glanced down at her watch, which flashed 7:46pm back at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit,” Toni mumbled, dropping her bags on the floor and rushing to grab clean clothes. Rachel had agreed to pick her and Martha up at 8:00pm, and Rachel was never late. She managed to squeeze in a quick shower before throwing on some black jeans, a basketball hoodie, and her signature Vans. True to her word, Rachel pulled up at 8:01, with Martha already sitting in the front seat, since she lived a little ways down the road. Toni climbed into the backseat and shut the door without saying a word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Toni, are your parents back yet?” Martha asked. Toni looked down and shuffled her feet. Her foster parents weren’t the most attentive guardians, but at least they let her have some freedom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, no, but they left enough money to last me through the month, so I think it’s fine,” she replied quietly. Martha dropped the subject, but the look in her eyes told Toni she was still worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they pulled up to Fatin’s house, it was already teeming with drunk people. Toni grimaced as she stepped out of the car. She liked parties, and liked getting wasted even more, but it made her a little uncomfortable sometimes. Something about the lack of control everyone had when they drank put her on edge, like someone could make a terrible decision at any point just because they didn’t have the awareness to think it through.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey party people,” Fatin yelled as the girls walked through the front door, “glad to see you’re joining us tonight! Drinks are in the kitchen and out back. Grab whatever you want and don’t be afraid to get a little wild,” Fatin winked at Toni before she stepped out into the front yard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Marty, </span>
  <em>
    <span>don’t </span>
  </em>
  <span>let me get wild, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rachel went off to find some of her teammates while Toni and Martha headed to the kitchen. Toni was pleased to find a whole cooler of White Claws - the perfect drink of choice to not get wasted but still have fun. As she popped open a can, she surveyed the crowd in the living room. Her eyes latched onto Shelby, who was clearly way too sober to be at a party like this, dancing very conservatively with Andrew, who was clearly much too drunk. She scoffed and shook her head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The poor bastard’s stuck with an absolute prude</span>
  </em>
  <span>, she thought to herself before turning to Martha.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you wanna go find Rachel and the team? I don’t really feel like dancing tonight,” Toni shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, who are you and what did you do with my Toni? First no getting drunk, now no dancing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toni shoved Martha lightly with a laugh and started off towards the much quieter, more spread out group in the backyard.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her normal style definitely wasn’t to gravitate towards the quiet section of a party, but she knew the upcoming championship game was more important than a couple hours of fun. Any misstep could take away her chance at getting a scholarship, which was really the only way she’d ever be able to afford going to college.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After just hanging out and talking with her friends in the backyard, Toni felt content. It was a new feeling: to go to a party still laser-focused on something instead of aiming to think about absolutely nothing (except some alcohol and possibly a new girl) for a few hours.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey guys, I’m gonna go pee. Anyone know where the bathroom is?” she asked, setting down her second White Claw of the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell no, Fatin’s house has like 30 rooms just on the first floor. Just open a bunch of doors until you find one,” Rachel laughed. Toni got up and walked through the pristine sliding glass doors, looking for any indication of what door might lead to the bathroom. The crowd inside had thinned out a bit, but it seemed like the remaining people were just getting wilder. She ducked out of the way of an airborne vase, bumping into Shelby in the process.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shit, sorry,” Toni mumbled, glancing up at Shelby. The girl looked considerably drunker than before, shocking Toni. She didn’t think Shelby had it in her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All good, Toni!” Shelby laughed before rejoining her friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toni continued on down a long hallway. She figured there must be a bathroom somewhere that way. She opened one, two, three doors with no luck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who the fuck needs all this space,” she sighed while opening the next door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Inside was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>naked Andrew on a satin-covered bed and an equally naked…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not Shelby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That naked girl currently in bed with Andrew was not Shelby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Toni closed the door as quickly as she could as Andrew yelled at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh shit,” Toni repeated to herself as she walked straight out into the backyard, not even bothering to look at where she was going. She didn’t want to accidentally make eye contact with Shelby, not right now. She grabbed Martha’s arm and pulled her out of range from everyone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck, Martha, I just saw something I wasn’t supposed to see, and I don’t know what to do, and I’m really freaking out,” she rushed out. Martha just laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, too long without a hook-up really has made you a prude,” she teased. Toni grabbed her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I saw Andrew cheating on Shelby. I don’t even like her, but that shit’s messed up, and if it were happening to me, I would want someone to tell me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Martha’s face dropped. “Uh, yeah, I guess you should probably say something, but now might not be-” Martha didn’t have the chance to finish her sentence before Toni was stalking back towards the house. It had been mere minutes, and she was already fuming. It wasn’t too hard to find Shelby, what with her platinum blonde hair and currently drunken state.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Shelby, we gotta talk.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Toni grabbed Shelby’s wrist without waiting for a response and dragged her into a nearby room, slamming and locking the door behind her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Toni, what the hell are you-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Andrew’s cheating on you. I walked in and saw him with another girl. I know that if I were in your situation, I would want someone to tell me immediately,” Toni rushed out. Shelby just looked at her and cocked her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, no shit Andrew’s cheating on me,” she chuckled, slurring her words together as she sat down on a very expensive-looking chair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toni stared at her dumbfounded. Here she was, thinking she’d be a hero, just to have Shelby already know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck is wrong with you? Has he done this before?” Toni said, trying to keep her temper under control.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A bunch. The first few times upset me, but now I understand, so why should I care?” Shelby shrugged. “Besides, I don’t even like him that much.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That, for some reason, sent Shelby into a hysterical fit of laughter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Isn’t that just great,” she continued, trying to catch her breath in between laughs, “that I’m dating a guy I don’t even like? And I don’t think he likes me either!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Toni was mad before, it was nothing compared to now. She hated being confused, and this confused her more than anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So then why are you dating him?” Toni asked frustratedly. Shelby stopped laughing and sobered up scarily fast.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s none of your fucking business, Shalifoe,” she snarled, getting up to leave. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wow, something struck a nerve</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Toni thought. She blocked Shelby’s path to the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well it is now that I have your fake boyfriend’s naked ass ingrained in my memory.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shelby sat back down with a huff and stared blankly at Toni. “Do you really expect me to spill my life story to you, of all people? Why do you even care?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> should care! What kind of person just lets themself get cheated on?” Toni yelled. She was afraid to attract attention from people outside the room, but this was quickly turning into a much too heated argument.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The kind of person who has to keep up appearances!” Shelby yelled back. “Everything in my life is planned out to a tee. You know how hard it is to pretend I’m someone I’m not?”</span>
</p>
<p><span>“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you? People judge me before they even get to know me just because of who I like, and on top of that, I don’t even have a family to talk to about it. You literally sign up to be judged.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Yeah, but you’re free. Don’t you see that?” Shelby sighed, standing up. At this point, Toni had almost forgotten why she’d started talking to Shelby in the first place. She had been trying to help her, to do her a favor, but now she wished she hadn’t ever brought it up. Toni took a deep breath to calm herself down.</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Shelby, everyone loves you. Like, you’re literally one of the most popular people at this school. Any guy here would gladly date you, so why do you choose to date the one asshole who doesn’t appreciate you and who you don’t even like?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Because,” Shelby cried out sharply, “I don’t wanna date any of those guys, alright? I don’t even like guys-” she stopped abruptly, covering her mouth with her hand. Clearly, her copious and probably unfamiliar drinking was having an effect on her self-control. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toni stood still, mouth agape, stunned into silence. She took a step towards Shelby; to comfort her, to slap some sense into her, she wasn’t really sure what her plan was. Before she could say a word, Shelby was brushing past her. She stopped with her hand on the doorknob and, without turning around, shakily said, “If you tell anyone about this conversation, I will personally make sure the rest of your high school experience is a living hell.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Toni stayed in the room for a few more minutes after Shelby left, not really knowing how to react. To be fair, she didn’t really take the time to get to know Shelby all that well, but she never would have guessed that she liked girls. What did make sense was her choice to cover up her homosexuality by dating the biggest homophobe around. Toni could only imagine the pain Shelby was going through. She still didn’t think she was being very rational or fair to Toni, though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After she was sure she could act normal again, Toni went back to Martha and the rest of the group. Martha pulled her aside and asked what happened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, turns out I made a mistake. It wasn’t even Andrew,” she said casually. She didn’t think Martha would buy it, but she knew she had Martha’s trust, so assuring her that everything was fine would be enough.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Everything after that party felt weird to Toni. She felt like she and Shelby must have some connection now, some bond over their shared experience. Shelby clearly didn’t feel the same energy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the first week, Shelby just avoided any and all contact with Toni. She kept her head down when passing her in the hallway and ate lunch somewhere even Toni couldn’t figure out. It was strange, but Toni didn’t think much of it. She knew internalized homophobia was a bitch, and she figured it would be better to let Shelby take time to figure herself out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But after that first week, everything went to shit. It started in the parking lot before first period as Toni walked past all the people who could actually afford cars. She bumped Shelby slightly as she passed her, not even realizing it was her until she looked up to apologize.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Watch where you’re going,” Shelby sneered immediately, looking Toni up and down before turning back to Andrew and her friends. Toni stepped back in shock. They might not be best friends, but Shelby had never spoken to Toni with such hostility.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the fuck is your problem?” Toni spit back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, just leave me alone,” Shelby said as her friends started noticing their squabble. “It’s like you have a crush on me or something. Can you not get so close to me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Again, Toni recoiled. Her face contorted into something of a mixture between hurt and confusion before she scoffed and walked away. She knew Shelby was serious about keeping up her reputation, but Toni hadn’t done anything to deserve this type of treatment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now Toni was the one trying to avoid Shelby, but it was next to impossible. Her path seemed to always cross Shelby’s, and every time she got the same bitter reaction from the closeted girl. Shelby was getting on her fucking nerves, and Toni wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to sit idly by.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If the party had never happened, she probably wouldn’t even care about the sudden change in attitude. She had always expected Shelby to be a bit of an asshole, anyway. But after everything she did to try to help Shelby and finding out about Shelby’s secret, she for some reason needed to get back into Shelby’s good graces. It was killing her that she had no idea why Shelby was acting this way even though Toni had been good to her word.</span>
</p>
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